In the world of hand-held nutcrackers, there have been several types over the years. Various methods have been employed to create a force sufficient enough to crack nuts. One method uses the leverage of two or more handles (similar to pliers) which are squeezed together by the users' hand or hands to provide the cracking force. Another nut cracking method converts rotational motion into linear force by the user turning a threaded member against a nut in a vise type device. Yet another method uses a spring as a means to propel an impact member which strikes and cracks a nut. Many of these nutcrackers require relatively strong hands to operate, tend to scatter nutshells and yield a relatively small quantity of cracked nuts per time spent. Therefore, a need clearly exists for a better hand-held nutcracker.